Re: medication

[http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert (robert)]

You might also consider herbs & vitamin supplements which have anti-inflammatory
properties.  Here's an excerpt from my web page
(http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert/rsi.shtml):

	I have tendinitis in my right wrist.  The tendinitis has lasted
over 3 years with absolutely no sign of resignation.  Anyway, here's how I
keep my R.S.I. (repetitive strain injury) under control:
o Daily Vitamins.
     o 500mg of Glucosamine Sulfate.  (Some people have reported side-effects
         of this, such as twitching, stomach aches, and urinary-tract
	 problems.)
     o 650mg of a magnesium/calcium combination.
     o 33mg of potassium.
     o 1 tsp. of a flax seed/borage oil mixture (very high in GLA). (Primose
         oil seems to do nothing for me.)
     o A multivitamin containing B6 as one of its constituents.
o Other things.
     o Been drinking lots of water; supposed to flush out toxins in the area
       of inflammation.
     o Been forcing myself to write with my left hand to give relief of
       my right hand; in addition, I also now mouse and trackball with my
       left hand.
     o Use a splint at night.
     o Ice my wrist throughout the day to relieve pain.
     o Stretch using stretches described in Repetitive Strain Injury
       by Pascarelli.
     o Massage my forearms while holding them over my head during my
       breaks.
     o Occassionally use my crook/Theracane (available from Back Designs
       next to Berkeley's Orchard Supply).
     o Take breaks using my typebreak program.
     o Remap (via xmodmap) my keyboard so that the return and backspace
       keys are on the left-hand side of the keyboard to take pressure off
       my right hand.
     o Use a Lexmark keyboard (these are currently no longer being
       produced) connected through a Kinesis adaptor to my Sun and also to
       my PC.
     o Put keyboard on lap on top of a 14" tall (or wide in my case
       since I place it horizontally) notebook; use cabinet cloth to prevent
       the keyboard from slipping around.
     o Use a typing prediction program called rk.
     o Attend the monthly R.S.I. East Bay Support Group meetings held on the
       second Wednesday at 400 29th St. #105 in Oakland, CA.
     o Subscribe to both the
         SOREHAND
         and
         Voice-Users
         mailing lists
         using procmail
         to filter out the junk.

 > From: Ralph Strauch <http://www.SOMATIC.COM/~rstrauch>
 > Date: Mon  Jun 30, 11:43am
 >
 > Try some form of self-awareness practice, such as Feldenkrais, T'ai Chi,
 > yoga, etc. Becoming more aware of how you move allows you to move more
 > efficiently and impose less stress on your body as you do. This facilitates
 > healing and reduces the likelihood of continuing reinjury.
 > 
 > Ralph
 > 
 > On Mon, Jun 30, 1997 7:04 PM, http://www.USA.NET/~sojie <http://www.USA.NET/~sojie> wrote:
 > >dr wants me to take anti-inflammatory meds -- lodine & shelatin.
 > >i'm very uninterested in masking pain & i'm very uninterested in
 > >medication.
 > >
 > >from the speech he gave me, i assume he's traditional (there's no
 > >illness a drug can't fix).  i'd like to add more to his "bag of
 > >tricks."  what other things can i do besides medication?  (he will
 > >be sending me to p/t shortly.)
 > >